The Albuquerque area is getting a real "two-fer" in some of the business development underway in Mesa del Sol. There is a heavy concentration of effort towards green, eco-friendly design, along with great economic benefits and lots of job growth.

For example, Schott Solar is building a solar energy technology prduction facility in Mesa Del Sol, a unique, mixed-use development in Albuquerque's Southeast area. This German company is building a 200,000 SF facility that will employ 350 in the immediate future, with long-term plans to expand to 800,000 SF and 1500 employees.  Accroding to the New Mexico Business Weekly, Schott  will make receivers for concentrated solar thermal power plants and photovoltaic modules at this facility, and production is expected to begin next summer. This is great economic news for Albuquerque, and the solar energy development is a great, GREEN industry. In a press release from Forest City, the company behind the Mesa del Sol development, Gov. Bill Richardson was quoted as saying,""I am pleased SCHOTT is opening a factory and bringing more alternative clean energy development to the state."

Of course, Schott will not be the first solar industry in Albuquerque, or even in Mesa del Sol. Advent Solar, a maker of advanced solar cells, inaugurated their facility at Mesa Del Sol last year, and expects that their workforce could ultimately grow to 1000 employees.

Schott Solar and Advent Solar are both important parts of the "renewable energy cluster" at Mesa del Sol.

Looks like Albuquerque, NM, with quite a bit of help from Mesa del Sol, is jumping to the head of the pack when it comes to jobs created by clean, green alternative energy businesses! Thinking green? Join us here in New Mexico!